New York's best shops

words by Hanya Yanagihara

Perfume and beauty

Min

Twisted Lily

This store in the Boerum Hill neighbourhood of Brooklyn is not
much to talk about design-wise - clean white walls and blonde-wood
floors - but inside, the offerings are much more interesting,
complex and dark. We're talking about the fragrances on offer, of
course: hard-to-source home scents that smell of burning cypress;
small-batch perfumes redolent of absinthe. You will discover notes
of everything from saddle leather to Granny Smith apples, styrax to
whiskey. And there's also plenty of lovely rose and violet scents
for the traditionalshopper. 360 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn (+1
347 529 4681; www.twistedlily.com)

Aedes de Venustas

Every obscure perfume, candle, room spray or incense stick ever
made can be found in this subterranean West Village boutique, which
resembles, in the best way, a Victorian courtesan's boudoir. The
owners, an elegant and engaging German couple, are experts at
choosing fragrances for novices who might be overwhelmed, and are
generous with samples. Aedes also makes its own scents, and
anything in the store can be gift-wrapped in a beautiful box topped
with a nosegay of fresh flowers. 9 Christopher Street (+1 212
206 8674; www.aedes.com)

Min

This dark, den-like store on a quiet stretch of eastern SoHo is
lined with wood-panelled bookshelves, each of which is stocked with
perfumes, colognes, soaps, incense, blottingpapers and body washes
from mostly small, mostly artisanal producers in the USA and
Europe. The more expensive and lesser known lines are arranged in
neat tableaux on various tables and display cases, and all are
meant to be tested. The staff are helpful without being
overbearing, although if you crave some extra attention, or don't
know where to start, they'll sit down with you on the big leather
sofa that dominates the centre of the space and conduct a patient,
in-depth (and very serious) interview to ascertain your deepest
olfactory desires. 117 Crosby Street (+1 212 206 6366; www.minnewyork.com)

This feature was first published in Condé Nast
Traveller December 2014